Fashionably Late
by Skylark Evanson
Summary: A challenge where I have to write a different pairing to every song on an album. Twelve: Conner/Roy.
1. Nobody Has to Know

**A/N: A self-induced challenge. Here are the rules:**

**One: I cannot use the same pairing twice.  
><strong>**Two: I can only drop one song on the album. I must use all the others.  
><strong>**Three: I have to use at least one of the six main characters.  
><strong>**Four: I cannot use an OC and I cannot gender-bend.  
><strong>**Five: I stick to my usual style for songfics. First Person POV and in present tense.**

**Why am I doing this? I like challenging myself! Writing is what I do. I'm stretching my limits and expanding my horizons. Because with this show, I know there are a lot of slash shippers. I am not one of them due to my hardcore canon-ness and because of a scarring issue a few years back with a Bevin fic… Anyways, I have to write slash due to these rules and I need to get out of my comfort zone.**

**Sorry for the long opening A/N. They won't be too long after this. The album I chose for this challenge is "Fashionably Late" by Honor Society.**

**First up: RobinxArtemis- "Nobody Has To Know" Robin's POV.**

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><p><strong><span>Nobody Has To Know<span>**

Blue eyes.

Why do I have to love it so much?

I feel guilty all the time. About just being near her. About wanting her. About needing her. About everything.

I'll be in the kitchen just watching everyone mill around in their respective ways, Superboy watching his static-filled tv, watching Megan bustle around me and trying to remember that I like redheads like Babs and Meg, but then Artemis'll walk past and I can't help myself but want to go to her and show her some cool move or something so she'll be all "Oh Robin, you're so awesome" in that girly voice that all those stupid shows portray wrong. Because Artemis would never talk like that.

Wally's noticed the difference in me. He's always harassing me about it. "Who is she?" He always jabs me in the side or prods me with a finger. "C'mon, Rob, tell me, you're totally lovestruck, you little sucker."

He's so annoying.

And then there's Artemis. She's oblivious. She's insanely smart; I'm wondering why she hasn't noticed.

Of course, I don't want her to know. Nobody has to know about this as far as I'm concerned. Just me, myself, and I.

Then she'll walk by again to yell at Wally for something and-

Crap, I totally want her.

Three years ago, I wouldn't have cared. You know, back when I was thirteen and only cared about being the greatest fighter Gotham had ever seen. Not now. Now I care about girls and how good my abs look and how Wally is still taller than me. But I mostly care about girls.

"You ready to beam back to Gotham?" Her arrows are slung over one shoulder and she's got her mask pulled back for the moment, but she's fingering the hood so we can get out of there without looking like Artemis Crock and Dick Grayson. We have to be superheroes until we get home. Then we can ditch the costumes and crawl back into our civvies.

"Yeah." Don't show fear, don't show emotions. That's Batman's rule of thumb. But it's a lot harder with girls. Which is probably why Bruce is way too relaxed at parties. "Just give me a sec. I have to find my helmet." No I don't. It's right over by the door. I can see it from here. But I really just need a minute to compose myself.

So I push myself off the counter and take a cookie from Megan as she passes with a fresh sheet of them. Then I head towards the couch where Conner is still watching his static. I don't know why he likes it, but there are always days where I'd rather not ask questions.

Then there's the skidding of feet in red shoes and Wally at my side with the helmet to my cycle in his hands. He's got that grin plastered on his face and he's waiting for me to leave, figuring that Artemis is staying behind.

Just recently, he's found that he cares about her. Pretty deeply. That he wants to get to know her. That he loves her. Personally, I don't believe a word of it, but Wally won't know what he wants until he's finally makes his decision of whether he wants to go for it or not. He's had a few issues recently with his ex, Linda, but I think he's dealing pretty well. While trying to find himself attracted to Artemis to get over it.

But that's just Wally for you. He's never been one to keep his mind on something for very long.

"Found it." And he hands it to me, shoving it against my chest a little roughly. He's watching me with those intent green eyes, like I have to prove something to him before walking home with his little love interest. Not like it matters. Not like I'll ever do anything wrong.

That's the problem with being the son of a rich man. You're not allowed to do anything wrong. Or else you disgrace your father. And with my scenario, that's not something I plan on doing any time soon.

"Let's get moving," she says, fixing the quiver's strap over her shoulder. "I have to pick my mom up from work in a couple hours and I've still got a lot of homework to do tonight."

"It's almost midnight," comments Meg from the kitchen, putting away the dishes for the night so she and Conner can cuddle up with a movie for a few hours before drifting off to sleep. Since I'm usually the first one in, I almost always walk in on them in the mornings, asleep on the couch, out cold, oblivious to the world.

It's so awkward…

Artemis shrugs. "It's not that late."

There's this quiet in the air as I tuck my helmet under one arm and focus on pulling my mask back over my eyes so I can get back into Gotham as Robin instead of Richard. "Alright, let's head out." I wait for Artemis to come over to the zeta-beam before waving to everyone, only three sets of eyes watching us leave. Kaldur hasn't been up from Atlantis in a while (he's always visiting Tula) so it's usually just us five hanging around and beating up on each other for no reason other than the pure joy of beating up on each other because we can. "See you guys in the morning."

Two quiet "Night"s come from Meg and Conner while Wally's loud, obnoxious "Adios!" echoes through the caverns like a cry of pain in the night. Out of place, never truly heard.

I step in. She steps in. I hit the button. Blue light swells around us, a cocoon of white and cobalt. Then the streets of Gotham are racing by just outside the alley, hundreds of ominous black cars darting by, the stench of gasoline and grime in the thick, smoky air. "Good to be home," she says, stepping out and stretching towards the smog-filled sky. "Sort of."

The little things she does… Just the little things… It doesn't take much.

"Are you heading right home?" she asks, adjusting the quiver over her shoulder once again, bow hanging off of two fingers at her side. She's watching me intently, but I almost feel like she's watching past me instead of watching me. She's stepping towards the alley's opening, the mouth of it glaring with yellow lights and the white headlights of passing cars.

I shrug. "Probably not. I'll do a quick scope of the area before heading back." The R-Cycle is parked behind her apartment building behind some trash cans and covered with a tarp. It's the safest place to put it as far as I'm concerned. That, and if I lose it, I'm pretty sure Bruce would have my head for being careless. Being Robin is not a job for carelessness.

"Mind if I join you?" she asks, now holding the bow up to show it to me, to demonstrate the taut string and how willing she is to use it. She cocks her head to one side in that quiet, questioning way. Usually, she's pretty loud like Wally is, but then in Gotham, she goes softer and quieter. I know the deal with her mom and such, but it's a drastic change from one place to the next.

"Don't you have to pick up your mom?" That's why we always head back around midnight. So she can get back for her mom and so I can head off to patrol with Batman. We're almost always working when we're not at school. It's a tense life, but we manage it.

Maybe that's why I'm so attracted to her. Human, just like me. Strong-willed, beautiful, powerful, headstrong. She's all I could ever really ask for.

She flips her hand. "I usually have to do my homework before I pick her up and there isn't much to do for tomorrow." Her blue eyes flare for a moment. "The night's young. There's time."

We Gothamites don't sleep much. Maybe it's a good thing.

I don't waste time. If I only get to spend a few moments with her, that's all I really want, all I could ever need. A few minutes with her, to stand by her side, to feel her presence near, to know that she is there, that she won't go away. Until the area is cleared. I pull out the grappling hook and aim for a nearby building. She's quick to draw her arrow, line attached to the end of it, and fire for a lower rooftop. I'm pulled across, she slides down with her bow to the lower building next to mine.

I watch the skyline for a moment to look for any goons or any explosions in the distance. I'm glad there isn't anything for once. Any other day, I'd want to find something I could hit.

I jump down to her level again, tumbling to reduce the force of the blow. I messed up my knee once pretty bad and learned my lesson from there. "Nothing that I can see." I watch her as her blue eyes scan the horizon of city lights and wafting smoke. I pull my cape away from my feet. Because I totally need to fall off a building today.

Superboy sometimes has a point about ditching the cape.

"It's a boring night," she says with a sigh, head lolling to one side with the sheer boredom of it all. Her blue eyes close for a long moment as her head tilts up again to watch the night stars in the deep, dark sky.

"Yup."

Why do I want her so badly? Why? Why do I wish I could take her on my grappling hook with me up to a place where we could never be found? Why do I want to keep her so close? It's nights like these where I don't want her to leave, where I think she should always stay beside me until the breaking of golden dawn.

Wow, that sounds poetic. If Wally could hear that… Yeah… Bad things.

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><p><strong>AN: I couldn't figure where I wanted this to go! I mean, I've written this pairing before, but sheesh! Such a roadblock. More one-sided than I wanted, but… Yeah. I debated a line at the end where Dick Grayson would notice that Artemis Crock hadn't done her homework, a slight note of her side, but that seemed to be… droning.**

**I promise you the next one will most definitely be better. I've already got the opening bit written, just need to pack the love onto it. Next up: KFxRA. Oh yeah. My first attempt at slash. Wish me luck. Should be posted… in an hour or so? Maybe tomorrow?**

**Review?**

**~Sky**


	2. Two Rebels

**A/N: This one is KFxRA, as promised. Background: the pairing is already established in this, and it's set a few years in the future. Say… two years?**

**Roy's POV  
><strong>**Song: "Two Rebels" by Honor Society**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

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><p><em><span>Two Rebels<span>_

The last straw. They'd snapped it, shredded it, pulverized it. And like Hell am I going to take any more of their shit.

A sidekick. A partner. No, I'd joined the team to help and because I knew Rob needed some more troops to take out The Light back when they were still a threat. But I was still Red Arrow, still my own entity within the team. I volunteered to help because I could while still fighting my own wars outside of working on covert ops.

And Oliver fucking Queen goes and tries to screw up my peace again, trying to ruin my life.

He wants to take me in again.

And I'm not going back.

I won't be a sidekick, I won't be a partner, I will only be myself. I'm flying solo now. I will not go back to that. Not again. Never again. I don't need his pity. I don't need his help. I can do things on my own.

My little car sits behind the bushes that functions as our garage at Mount Justice. There's all these shrubs where we just park and lay a green tarp over the cars and go in, trying not to look so conspicuous.

My car is a beat-up little thing from about twenty-some years ago. It's reddish and rusted over with orange and Wally sometimes says it looks like me in my Red Arrow costume. Then remarks at how hot it is in an attempt to cheer me up about my shitty car. He's great and all, but he's not too bright.

I haul the green tarp off my car to reveal the red and orange piece of ugly with the top pulled down (the only benefit of the damn thing) and the mangled seats. I don't even bother with the door. I just climb in over side and land in the seat, one hand on the wheel, the other fishing for the key in my pocket. I find the metal piece just as another body lands in the passenger seat. I'm shoving the key in the ignition before I say anything.

He's quiet, but he says, "I'm coming with you."

The engine finally revs up and roars to life beneath us. The thrum of it buzzes through the seats and into our bodies. "You can't come with, Wally." I put my hand on the gearshift, but I don't put it into drive. I have to get him out of the car first.

"Yeah I can." He sits there and I figure that if I looked over, I'd see him pouting. And he's so cute when he's pouting. It's completely pitiful. That's why I can't look over at him. Because then I'd give in and let him come with. So I focus on the road ahead and wait for him to get out of my damn car.

"No, you can't." I don't want to shove him out of the car. I know I'm leaving for good and if I leave him here, it'd be the same as breaking up with him. I can't do that. I love him too much. He's the only thing I can rely on nowadays. He's always there when I need someone to hold me, he's always there when I need someone to talk with, he's always there when Artemis is bitching, he's always there when someone's yelling at me. That's the thing about Wally. He's like a puppy, loyal and loving forever. Even if you kick him, he'll still come crawling back because he loves you too much to let go. Even if I shoved him out of the car now, I bet he'd follow me. Superspeed can be annoying when you're trying to ditch someone.

His voice gets lower and he sounds hurt almost. "Why not?" I hear the seat squeak a bit underneath him as he slides down in it, trying to hide from something, maybe from my yelling. He knows I have a habit of yelling when I'm frustrated or annoyed or just feeling low about myself.

Why can't he come with? Because he has to go home. Because he can't come with me. Because I want him to be safe. Because I want him to stay with the team. Because he needs more than what I can give him. He needs a home, friends, family, love, happiness. I can only offer him two of five. That's not even fifty percent. that's like forty. Which is not good.

"Because you need to stay here." I hate making him leave. It hurts. So badly. I don't want to leave him. I want to take him with so badly, a road trip for just the two of us, no place to go, just the open road and a few handfuls of cash. "The team needs you, and-"

"But they can lose you?" he asks. And I hate to say it, but he sounds so pitiful that I really do want to give in right now. I want to stay so I can take care of him. But I also want to take him with so we can do that cliché "ride off into the sunset" thing. And so I can just take him with me on my next adventure, one that can feature the two of us. I don't want to have to feel alone. "I don't see how that's fair." If I looked over, I could imagine his sad green eyes and a pout perched on his soft lips…

I revved the engine a little, my foot touching the gas pedal. "It's not." I try not to sneer at him. I don't want this to end badly. I want to be able to come back to him one day and pick up where we left off. "That's life."

Wally, for one in his life, is quiet. But he still isn't getting out of my car. It really, really bothers me. I only want him to listen so he could head out and get back on Batman's good side before he's a permanent reject of the Justice League like I will be. So I give one last try before I figure I'll just have to shove him out and drive off and hope he won't slip into the trunk or something stupid. "Wally, please, just get out of the car." I don't want this to be any harder than it needs to be. I'm already dying inside because I have to leave him. I'm already breaking down emotionally because I'm going to hate existing without him at my side every waking moment. "Go."

He doesn't budge. He sits there passively, arms folded across his chest. He's quiet. He won't back down. He's Wally. He's too damn stubborn.

"I'm kicking you out if you don't leave ri-"

I feel his hand clasp over mine on the steering wheel. "We're in this together." I actually do look over now and I find his green eyes staring right at me, a bit angry, a bit sad. "Can't you see that?" I almost think I see his lower lip quiver. "I don't care what happens, I don't care what you want, I just want to be wherever you are."

Of course, now I really don't want to leave him behind. It'd hurt too much to leave him behind. He's too good for me. I've known this for a long time now. He's too innocent, too smiley, too good… "Wally…"

"I'm in this whether you like it or not, Roy." He squeezes my hand gently. "So just drive."

So… in the end of the day… that cliché sunset garbage?

Yeah…

I had Wally leaning on me, drool running from the corner of his mouth and onto my uniform, his hand still on mine as the sun began to die slowly, dipping below the horizon. Cliché, yes, definitely. But it felt good.

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><p><strong>AN: My first slash attempt. I couldn't go overly fluffy but… I tried to do the best I could. Review?**

**~Sky**


	3. See U In The Dark

**A/N: I was originally planning on mixing up the character line-up more than this, but here's one of those that just kinda had to be done. Especially since I don't think anyone has ever really shipped this heavily 'round FF. So of course, I picked a song and started up.**

**Song: See U In The Dark**  
><strong>Pairing: MMxKF<strong>  
><strong>POV: KF<strong>

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

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><p><strong>See U In The Dark<strong>

No, I don't fantasize. I daydream every second of how Miss M and I would do it if she weren't with that big bully with the anger issues.

Thank God he's not the mind reader. I'd be pummeled to a pulp by now.

I admire every curve when she just stands there looking pretty. Honestly, that could be her job if she weren't an alien. I mean, she's completely gorgeous. Gorgeous. Incredible. Amazing. There aren't enough words for it. And I tell Rob all of this all the time and he thinks I'm just a tad bit crazy. And that my daydreams are so not credible. I'm assuming he made up a new word there, but he's a weird little dude.

And when Meg isn't standing, she's making a few hundred batches of cookies. Bending over to get them out of the oven. Skirt hiked up just enough for me to see her flawlessly long legs. Yes, there's quite a nice view as long as Supey isn't obstructing it, the big buffoon. Maybe they get each other on an emotional level, but jeez, he doesn't know what he's missing out on. If only he understood the physical aspect of how amazing she is.

I think my favorite fantasy of her is the way her green skin would glow from the moonlight as she walked in front of a window naked. Gorgeous. Twisted, but gorgeous.

Teenage boy. Hormones. Can't always control what I want. Not like she makes it easy for me to avoid wanting her. I mean, red hair is almost always an instant turn-on for guys. Add in a dose of brilliant brown eyes and some adorable freckles and that nervous blush she gets and that smokin' kind of body and life is perfect.

Getting her to love me, on the other hand, has proven harder than it should've.

Today's mission: get her alone.

Superboy is out at Wal-Mart. I told him Meg needed a hand-knitted king-sized pillow. It sounded legit to him, so he went out. Score. I don't even know if those exist. Maybe at like that World Market store or something... Although Wal-Mart has been proven to sell just about anything... I've been there. I've seen it.

"Megalicious." I slide into the room on my sexy fast feet and stand there, still shorter than her. Damn. No growth spurt. And Rob's getting taller, the munchkin. "You lonely in here yet?" I tip her chin up with one finger and flash a perfect smile. I. Am. Awesome. Oh yeah. "'cause the Wallman is always here for damsels in distress."

She smiles gently and pushes my hand away, obviously trying to put me down easy. I know she isn't completely in love with me. Yet. I just need to wait. Patience is a virtue, silence is golden, all that jazz. I've also heard Roy say that duct tape is silver, whatever that means. "Wally, I really need to get this next batch out of the oven." She leans down a little bit.

Perfect view. No crazy possessive clone in my way. No annoying midget to tell me that I'm a hopeless romantic. No dumb blonde to slap me for harassing. Just me. And Meg. And the whole cave all to ourselves. If only she loved me. If only... "Hey, Meg?"

She telekinetically puts the tray down on top of the stove while her mind words to pile more balls of dough onto the next pan while the oven's still hot. I can see everything moving around behind her as if being shifted by paranormal powers. She doesn't answer but just looks at me expectantly, waiting for me to say something.

But it's just me and her. Us. Alone. Together. An oxymoron, but oh so true. So I step closer so that we're only inches apart. And I take advantage of the moment.

I lean in and kiss her.

Because why not? Worst case scenario, I take a nice beating from Supey and suffer for a few days from a bad black eye and a broken bone or two. Not like I haven't taken worse.

My heart pauses in my chest. The whole world slows. Because she isn't pulling away. She's not pulling away. She's accepting it like this is fate. Speak of the Devil, Doctor Fate lied. I don't need a spitfire. I got an alien girl who makes the worst cookies in the world but has the body to make up for it.

I even think, for a moment, that she is trying to kiss back harder than I'm kissing her. Not like I'm complaining. God, she's good at this. I'm melting into the moment like the chocolate chips on those cookies. I take a risk and run my fingers up into her hair, desperate for this moment to last. I'm not sure how long the Smaller Blue Boy Scout'll be away for.

I find her hands around my neck for a few minutes, and this is like the big Megan-overdose that I needed. I needed some love, something, anything. I just need her right now 'cause I totally love her.

I finally have to pull away for air and she comes out gasping, but I'm okay. Big lungs. Breaking the sound barrier. Sound familiar? I cock a smile at her; she's totally in love with me. Phase Two: complete.

She looks me in the eyes after she can breathe properly again. I'm surprised when she smiles and joy sparks in the muddy depths of her eyes. "Finally." Her arms are still around my neck, and she leans in for more, our lips meeting again. Her forehead's against mine and her breath is on my face. She's still taller than me, even if only a little bit.

It's like Heaven. Her hands in my hair, my hands in her hair, her body so close to mine that I can feel _every single curve_... Now I just need to get her in a bedroom somewhere and my fantasies will be realities. Because maybe, just maybe, she's really been in love with me this whole time.

I mean, it kind of makes sense. She picked up on Superboy's vibes first because of the t-shirt incident, then realized later how he's violent and abusive and now she's coming back to me because I can be her messiah... Yes, she's loved me this whole time.

Another breath of air, gasps from both of us now. She's still holding onto me like I'm the last life preserver on the Titanic. "Thank you, Wally." And then we're hugging. I'm hoping for another kiss, and I get an entire session on the couch a few minutes later, but hugging is good for now. Hugging is good too.

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><p><strong>AN: Um… This was harder to write than I thought. Ignore the somewhat sudden fluff. I have a tendency to do that sometimes despite my reluctance to do so. But with these two, I like this better than straight-up fluffy fluff. So… review?**

**~Sky**


	4. Goodnight My Love

**A/N: I wanted to get "My Own Way" done first, but I'm having a POV crisis. Before that, I wanted to do "Don't Close the Book", but I lost the drive for that one, and this was the spawn of late nights and romance fics.**

**Song: "Goodnight My Love"**  
><strong>Pairing: RoyxArtemis<strong>  
><strong>POV: Roy<strong>

**Disclaimer: I don't own. Song by Honor Society.**

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><p><strong><span>Goodnight My Love<span>**

I wake up feeling something heavy on top of me. I open one tired eye and see her blonde hair laying across my body, her chest gently rising and falling.

Dawn filters through the window. I blink my other eye open. She looks like a goddess in the golden light. Of course, it's so appropriate for her. It's getting light outside. I know I need to leave before she wakes up. I need to get out before anyone walks in and finds us. If Wally ever found out I'd slept with his fiancée...

But God, she was just begging for it. She needed someone so badly that I couldn't refuse. Her hips, her legs, those lips... It didn't take much to make me take her home last night. She needed someone so badly. I was just the guy lucky enough to take her home. Good luck or bad luck depending on what way I wanted to look at it.

I'm perfectly aware that I broke the Bro Code, but I'll be forgiven. In time. Maybe. Maybe not. Wally'll never know, that's the best part. And if he does find out, it'll be too late and nothing'll matter anyways.

I rake my fingers through her messy blonde hair. It's like a waterfall except that it's tumbling in every direction it can find. Even across her face. I push those few stray strands away from her gorgeous eyes. They're shut, but I know exactly what shade of blue they are. Her lips are parted slightly. She's got the tiniest smile on. Even in her sleep, she's beautiful.

I can't help but remember last night, the way she'd come to me in the bar. She'd come in with Cassie originally, but that'd been over as soon as Cassie had a little hissy over Superboy (again). And seeing me, Artemis had sauntered on over and plopped herself beside me, needing a friend and maybe a little bit more. She'd ordered two drinks, not afraid to pick up a tab. She must've thought it was just going to be drinks.

Then she was a little too tired to drive herself home. So I decided that taking her home with me would be best. I didn't want to be responsible for accidentally letting my friend's almost-wife get killed. I would never want that on my conscience.

Taking her home, handing her a beer, curling up on the couch with old tv and way too much time, we'd ended up kissing at some point. I think she may have started it. It's all still a little bit fuzzy.

But I do know it wasn't just a drunk romance. We had no drugs, and we weren't buzzed enough to be confused. She was serious. I was serious. But we aren't serious.

I can remember her tongue wrestling with mine as we rushed to my bedroom. It was hard to tell who'd won the war, but he knew she was more of a challenge than any other girl I'd ever gotten intimate with. She wasn't afraid to break barriers and bust down walls.

I'd pushed her down on the bed first, I remember that much. She was running her hands along my neck and through my hair and kissing me back hard enough to make me think she was trying to fight World War III with just her lips. I know she wanted it though. She wasn't drunk enough to be hallucinating. She wasn't. I know it. She wanted this.

And I got on top of her, tangling my fingers up in her golden hair and making sure she got her fill of everything Wally could never be. I held onto her tight, wishing the night wouldn't end. I wished that maybe she would see something new after that.

I gently try to get her off of me. I have to get up. I have to get out of my apartment, get some fresh air, find some coffee, give her time to wake up and leave. I know I can't let this affect either of us. She's got a wedding in a couple of weeks. I've got a kid due in a few months. We can't be playing this game. It's not serious. We're not serious.

But I can't stop looking at her in the light and wishing I could stay. I play with her hair a little more; she smiles, still trapped in that perfect little dreamland where everything is always good as gold.

Maybe she's even dreaming about me.

Or maybe not.

I'm thinking for a few seconds of what we could have been. Imagine if she'd come a little bit sooner and bitched at me instead of West. I look out at the sun as it continues to rise. Maybe I could've been the lucky bastard to have put the ring on her finger.

I'm out from under her, and she's still out cold. I don't get out of bed for a few more minutes. I keep looking at her, at her slightly tanned skin, just like her sister's, at her so perfectly kissable lips, at her closed sapphire eyes, at her thin, gorgeous body. I have to tear my eyes away and get out of the bed. I can't resist such temptation forever. Not when it's so close. Not when I can still touch it.

I dig some boxers out of a pile of clothes. I find a pair of jeans with grass stains at the knees and pull them on. I shrug on a shirt and begin to button up the front, my back turned away from the bed, away from her. I can't keep looking at my mistake. It feels stupid, but I know I had to. Just to know what all I'd missed out on. I had only wanted to hold her, and now I'm guilty. But she needed it. I needed it.

We're not serious. It'll never happen again.

It's quiet except for the rustling of my clothes as I pack my keys into my pocket and shove my wallet into another. I have to remind myself about the coffee. And I have to figure out how I'm going to get her car back for her; she left it at the bar.

Then her voice crackles through the silence, words deliberate but tired. "You're so much better than Wally will ever be."

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><p><strong>AN: Short, but I wanted to follow the song. It's definitely one of my favorites on this album. So review?**

**~Sky**


	5. Sing For You

**A/N: Long time no update ^.^' Haha, yeah, just haven't wanted to do a whole lot of shipping other than NightArt lately, but here's an update and it's completely against my usual shipping just because it was annoying on the show. But here's the Supermartian piece.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own.  
>Sidenote: Writing from Conner's perspective is HARD! Sorry for the OOCness at times.<strong>

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><p><strong><span>Sing For You<span>**

Supposedly, it's her Earth birthday today. She put a lot of work into calculating our moon cycles compared to those of Mars and wasted almost an entire math class (I had to teach her how to graph cosine equations later) figuring out what day would be her Earth birthday. Figured it out now, but still, I'm not exactly a great teacher and she didn't do so well on that test. I even offered to let her read my mind, but she said it was cheating…

Anyways, her birthday's today and, as much as I really hate to say it, I probably have the best present ever for her.

Wally went classy and got her an ass-load of cookbooks. Robin brought a nice man in a nice suit who's been bustling around all day making cake and other fun foods, although I do wonder why there's a stranger allowed in Mount Justice. (Hey, he makes good cupcakes, I shouldn't complain.) Kaldur's been morphing some kind of ice sculpture while Artemis takes her shopping for the day so the rest of us can decorate and get everything else ready.

Meanwhile, Zatanna and Rocket are picking out dresses or whatever, being girls. One thing I love about M'gann: she doesn't take five hours to find clothes. I've been in Zatanna's room, I'm pretty sure she doesn't know how to clean. Rocket's just a mess, but you can blame that one on her upbringing.

Then there's me, who's a little bit OCD about certain things ("Wally, put things away after you eat." "Why is there water all over training area?") because I was raised in a place where everything was the hospital kind of clean, literally. And I only have one t-shirt, so it's not even an issue. M'gann is simple like that too, just changing her shirt whenever she feels like it. It's pretty cool.

Back to the point: I got her the best present ever.

_Recognized: Artemis, B-07.  
><em>_Recognized: Miss Martian, B-05._

Show time.

Wally and Robin are the first two up there, greeting her, presenting gifts, offering big smiles, being adorable. Then Rocket and Zatanna appear from their rooms, both looking "bangin'". (Rocket said it…) Then M'gann morphs her own clothes to match their attire, a slim dress covering her green skin, tight against her curves…

And we boys are all just thinking, "Wait, dress code?"

There's a little bit of laughing while they all talk and chat and be girls about everything, even Robin and Wally, and Artemis kind of walks away, standing next to me while Kaldur goes to get the man in the suit so he can leave. "What'd you get her?" Artemis asks, shooting me a curious look. Because we all know the boyfriend has to do something especially nice. Artemis took her shopping, Rocket and Zatanna are taking her clubbing, everyone else went pretty easy, but then there's me.

"You won't even see it."

Her eyes widen in that way where I know I've said something wrong. Wally gives me that look a lot. "Conner…"

Realization. "No, no, it's not-" I even laugh. "-it's not that. It's special."

She backs off pretty fast with a smile. Trust is a big thing with Artemis, and she gets it. "Alright, lover boy," she teases. "Just have her back by eleven." Artemis goes to leave.

"We're not going anywhere…" I say, knowing that confusion is written all over my face.

Her asian eyes squint at me like they're screaming, "What the fuck?" Instead of asking, Artemis just lets me off the hook and walks away with a flip of her hand, not bothering with questions. She just lets me go.

"Conner!" Her arms are around my neck, and it's the greatest feeling. Love. Love is beautiful, amazing, incredible, fantastic. I know she loves me, and it's the greatest thing that's ever happened to me. Love. It's… it's indescribable.

"Happy birthday, M'gann," It's all I can really get out while her arms are tightening around my neck in that type of squeeze hug she so often gives. I let my hands fall to the small of her back and kiss her forehead the best I can while she continues to hug me like I'm some kind of giant teddy bear.

From behind her, just outside of the living area, I can hear Wally mutter, "Watch, he'll forget about the present part."

Robin comments, "Nah, Conner's got the hang of things now. He's got this one covered."

This whole team is such a great family to me, but M'gann will always be the one who saved me from myself through the whole ordeal.

"Want to see your present?" I ask as soon as she has relinquished her hold on me. Good to know I'm not in danger of choking any longer.

"You didn't have to get me anything," she insists and blushes a bright pink.

The collective scoff in the room is… it's great. Family: they're always there to annoy you.

"Here." I take her hand and squeeze it tightly, letting the corners of my lips turn upwards. She has that effect on me, and it's inevitable. "Read my mind."

There's a nervous moment for her where she has to think about it, wondering what all is in my head. She's seen the dark things from Cadmus and the happier moments like that day where they all buried me in sand while I was trying to sleep. Megan knows there are different sides of me, and it's almost like she fears which side she'll see. But she gingerly reaches out and touches my mind, and I pull her in fast so the link is cemented.

And I show her everything: the first time we met, the first time we kissed, all the times I fell in love with her all over again, how much I try to love her hockey puck cookies, the pain of thinking she had frozen to death in Belle Reve, the panic of seeing a fire whenever she's near, the absolute adoration of everything she does and says, the way I can watch her in school because it's not like I'm learning anything new, all the times we'd made dinner together, all of the training sessions where I've held back so not to hurt her, the time we walked around Happy Harbor and got lost for almost a whole day, and the moment when I realized I was in love with her.

All of it pours from me to her and I know she's drinking it in, relishing in every moment. Her mind has a different aura when she's blissfully happy. And when I've shown her every moment I can remember of when I've been so incredibly satisfied around her, she withdraws her mind from mine and reality fades back into my eyes. "Conner…"

"Happy birthday," I repeat, and the words hardly get out before she's on her tiptoes kissing me, lips melting together, bodies blending. We really are one.

In the background, Wally mutters, "I don't get it."

I can hear Artemis elbow him and she explains, "You don't have to get it. Love just is."

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><p><strong>AN: Really strayed from the song on this one, but hey, I do what I can. Review?**

**~Sky**

**P.S. As for continuity, it's during a Spitfire break-up period, hence the slightly hostile territory. Because I could really see this being canon.**


	6. Full Moon Crazy

**A/N: Think I might cry because the last chap was so much better. It puts this one to shame ;_; Spitfire has always been a challenge to write, so it's always either kickass or a complete failure…**

**Disclaimer: No, still not owning anything. Inspiration owned by Honor Society.**

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><p><strong><span>Full Moon Crazy<span>**

"Are you crazy?" I spit out, watching as she nonchalantly dusts herself off after recklessly risking her life for the mission. She just tried to take on Vandal Savage without back-up, on her own, without her artillery-

Her eyes widen at my obvious attack. "Me?" she asks as hostility suddenly bubbles off of her like steam from boiling water. "Me? You think _I'm_ crazy? You just ran into a burning building!"

"To save you!" I argue back, already playing defense. She always manages to get me on defense because Artemis has a way of playing better offense, aggressive and unrelenting. "I would never leave you behind!"

Under her breath, she mutters, "You did in Prague."

"Prague was two years ago!" God, she makes me so mad... "Artemis, you can't keep pulling shit like that! It scares me!"

"Pussy."

"Are we really doing this?" She's just pushing my buttons now. I am painfully aware of how she can get to me so easily. I'm putty in her hands and she can smash me to pieces if she wants to. "Really? I thought we'd grown up a little bit more than this."

One hand finds her hip and those beautiful eyes narrow, throwing daggers my way. "And I thought we learned not to run into burning buildings."

I groan. "Artemis..." She usually isn't this petty, but unless she was on a kamikaze mission back there, she's secretly thanking me and is just lashing out because my knight in shining armor move wounded her pride. She's always liked to be independent and has never wanted me to outright take care of her. Three years of dating have _clearly_ made everything better...

Damn spitfire.

"Let's just get this straight," she says, getting up in my face, gaze glaring. "I don't want you treating me like your girlfriend in the field and I don't want you saving me."

"You almost died!"

Lips pursing, her jaw tightens. "Wally." She pulls back and even turns her away from me, pacing a few steps before looking back at me and saying, "You know how it is."

"I'm saving you because you're my teammate and because you were in a burning building about to be crushed by a few tons of bricks! It's not special treatment! It's me keeping you from _dying!"_ Because really, Dick or Con would've done the same if they had the speed. It's not like I'm a moron or anything!

"Wally."

I hate just lying down and taking my beatings, but I don't know what else to do. She's got a one-track mind tonight and I can't figure out why. "Alright, whatever." I start to head off, knowing we have to get back and submit our reports and blah blah blah. "Let's just get-"

"Thank you."

Let's make my life a little bit more confusing, why don't we? I decide agains arguing and figure she's just being Artemis. Girls will never make much sense. Well, hold on... I run through the math in my head and look at the moon real quick. With what little I can see of it through the smoke, everything makes sense.

Hello Mother Nature. Love you too, let's just drop an extra load of hormones onto my already semi-psychotic girlfriend.

And she's hanging onto me, probably just realizing she could've almost died and she's letting down her defenses and once the hostility is dead, she's in my arms, breathing desperate thanks. "Thank you, Wally."

I manage to pick her up. Running her to the zeta teleporter would be faster than letting her wal-

"Put me down, Baywatch! I can still walk!"

Jesus. I put her down and let her throw another string of meaningless insults at me while she's walking away because some part of her is too tired to deal with me right now and because she's overly emotional about some things. I've kind of learned to let her go when she's on her period. Besides, it's the only time she goes full on crazy.

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><p><strong>AN: Going to cry, this was awful, I apologize for everything you just read. You don't even have to dignify with a review, just carry on.**

**Next… Let's keep the canon rolling: RoyxCheshire.**

**~Sky**


	7. Here Comes Trouble

**A/N: This one, I hope, will make up for the last piece of crap. This song screams RoyxChesh because of these lines: "She's like a pistol, pointed at me, smokin' from her head to her feet, packing the heat. She's lethal, with a license to kill..." Now, if we all reflect on "Targets", there's that one part where she points her fingers at him like a gun. And then the rest of the song fits as well...**

**Enough rant, I'm sorry, I really, really love this song.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own. Inspiration is the song "Here Comes Trouble" by Honor Society.**

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><p><strong><span>Here Comes Trouble<span>**

"It's Cheshire."

Kaldur's warning doesn't reassure me at all. Within seconds, I know I'm in some deep shit. The thought of her turns me on. "Alright," I manage with a tight voice. "I'll take care of it."

"Be safe, my friend." And the comm clicks out.

Shit. I pull my dumpy car into the parking garage and lock it up. Not like anyone would steal it. I'm parked next to a Maserati, so I'm pretty clear for not getting my car stolen. Luxury sports car versus Crap-mobile? Yeah.

But Chesh. Cheshire. I grab my quiver out of the backseat and slip it over my head before running my fingers through my hair. I'm in trouble.

Fighting Cheshire? Not a problem. She's not hard to take on if you know her weak points. Her defense is weak lower, towards her ankles. Swipe 'em out and she's down for at least a few seconds, long enough to pull out an arrow. Avoiding the sais is the only difficult part. They're sharper than claws, making them all the more dangerous for a cat to wield.

Fighting off myself while fighting her? Well...

She's gorgeous. There's no questioning it. She's a different level. Chesh is someone stunning and special, making her all sorts of dangerous. Seduction is probably her greatest weapon; it would only take a few seconds of teasing before a guy's ready to get in her pants.

Hell, _I'm _ready to get in her pants. But I guess I have a bit more of an emotional level to it over pure lust. We've been through a lot together, believe it or not. That time with Lex Luthor. That time where Artemis told me Cheshire was her sister. That time when she nearly tried to kill me. (Okay, there have actually been a lot of that last one.) Either way, I don't think I'm just another guy aiming to get laid. There's more to it than that.

"Red," she purrs as I step into the room, instantly releasing all her tied up hostages with a quick flick of her blade. "Good to see you. It's about time I got the right hero to come around."

Trouble.

The people all scatter, escaping into the daylight that is immediately cut off again when the doors shut tightly. Darkness pours back into the room, the only light coming from some stray shafts of sun. And her mask glows in the shadows, the only thing I can see of her. "I've missed you, Red," she sighs heavily, closing in on me like we're playing cat and mouse. "You don't come around much anymore."

"Maybe it's because you're an assassin." My eyes watch her saunter out of the shadows. Yes, I want all over that. She makes it look so easy... Worst part is, she knows it. "I don't want my throat slit any time soon."

Jade steps in even closer, barely a yard away, just out of reach. "I thought we had an agreement."

My bow clashes against her sais before anyone can breathe another word. Cheshire slashed at me first, and now I get to fight back.

She hisses when I throw off her aim and redirect it to her left, settling her weight on that foot and making sure she's unbalanced. Beyond that, it's just that I have to fully come through and connect-

My kick is dodged as she steps away only to flip completely over me, and before I can turn around, there's a foot in my side and it hurts like a bitch. Her kick definitely knocks something out of place, but I'm even more turned on. She's so-

I get another kick and then hear the hissing of her sais through the cold air and I barely get my bow there in time to block her advances. With a quick twist, her foreign daggers are cut down and I manage to connect the other end of my bow with her face. The mask is chopped down.

Everything about her is tantalizing, seductive, enticing. Dark mane. Dark eyes. Tinted skin. Fluid motions. Perfect figure. Long legs. Everything.

Without even hesitating, she reaches forward and peels away my mask. I don't even realize what she's doing until she utters, "Blue. I never would've pegged it, Arrow."

Well, so much for my identity. I struggle to regain my composure, and, as she smiles, I kick her down.

Jade Nguyen looks up at me with hurt eyes and a sad smile. "Come on." She rises back to her feet, and even though I should be pushing her back down, I don't. "This is just to get to you, don't you see? Why are you still putting up a fight?"

Morals. Rules. Dignity. I don't say anything.

Her body, smoking from her head to her feet, moved forward like the ocean's waves until I'm up against a wall, apparently of my own accord because I can't find it in me to push her away. "Let's just get this straight," she breathes, hot air on my face. "I want you, Red, and I always get what I want."

Hilariously enough, every sense of control leaves my body and I'm the one to kiss her first, mouth on hers, hands on her, trying to get more and more and more-

Everything beyond that happens like it's natural. Her leg hooks over one of my hips. I'm pretty sure my veins are on fire. She's got her hands around my neck, nails already slicing through my hair. I'm still pushing myself up against her the best I can and keeping our lips locked, afraid that she'll leave me hanging.

Jade squeezes my neck for a moment, and the shock of that makes me pull away just to make sure that she isn't trying to kill me. She croaks a laugh and then reaches down, hands working to pull off my belt. "I knew you couldn't resist."

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><p><strong>AN: Review? I'm much happier with this one than the last…**

**Next up… Dick/Con? (Unofficially.)**

**~Sky**


	8. My Own Way

**A/N: Okay, honestly, I took a lot of liberty with this one, especially after how closely I followed the last song. It'll be explained in the end A/N.**

**Disclaimer: No. Song is by Honor Society. YJ is owned by DC. Conner's POV.**

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><p><strong><span>My Own Way<span>**

I have to hold him up against the wall because he's still too short for a proper kiss, even on his tiptoes. At fifteen, you would think he would be taller. But he isn't.

Maybe that bothers me too. That, and the fact that he's really touchy-feely with me. I love him, I do, but we've hit the point where he's putting more into the relationship than I am.

Not to mention the fact that I'm falling in love with M'gann again. She was with Kaldur for like a month and they broke that off because he was too simple and straight with her. Or at least that's how I think it went. Not like I really know. But what few arguments I heard, it sounds like he just wasn't her type.

And I don't think she was over me, really. Honestly, I'm not sure if I ever got completely over her.

"Con." His voice is holding a slight laugh, his head is slightly cocked to one side, and a grin is splayed across his face. "What's up? You're distracted or something."

One hand moves to brush my cheek but I shy away, a little bit embarrassed because I was thinking of M'gann while kissing him. And then I stopped kissing him because I was thinking of her. So I'm guilty. Some form of cheating, right?

"Conner."

"It's nothing." It's something.

"Tell me."

"No." Yes.

He sighs and wraps his thin, gangly arms around my neck. I'm all too aware of how fragile he is, how easily I could snap him in two. "You've been spacey lately. I'm just worried about you."

And in that moment, Wally walks past, hands shoved deep in his pockets, green eyes tossing a glare our way. "PDA. Come on, guys, seriously."

Robin, with a slight glare right back, sticks his tongue out until Wally's disappeared in Mount Justice's black depths, swallowed whole by darkness. Quickly, his attention returns to me. "Conner, I care about you. So just tell me what's up. I won't judge or anything." Then his smile is back, innocent as ever.

Common sense says make up some kind of lie. But my gut doesn't want me to hurt him anymore. I've been thinking about Megan for a long time now, and Robin? Robin hasn't really been on my mind. I missed our three month anniversary. (Or at least that's what he was trying to celebrate, I guess.) I may have missed his birthday. Not to mention the twenty-some dates I turned down because I was moody about Megan and Kaldur...

No. I won't hurt him.

"I... I've been thinking a lot lately."

His smile falls almost instantly, probably because the tone of my voice. Robin knows it is bad news and fears it; his arms loosen around my neck.

I try not to stutter, calculating my pauses to make easy, coherent sentences that won't break his heart even more. "I don't know if I... if I can keep going like this. I'm not physically attracted to you, Robin. You're great to be around and you definitely know how to have fun, but I don't feel that way about you like I should." I slowly let him down off the wall. His eyes are right at my shoulder, but he's looking up at me so I can see a scarce sliver of his eyes behind the glasses: blue, like the ocean. "A-And you're younger than me. Kind of like a brother. It-"

"It's about Miss M, right?"

I pause. I know how much I hurt him sometimes by even looking at her, but I try to remember him and to leave her at just a thought... "...yeah."

His smile is _sad_. I can read him though, and he isn't disappointed. He isn't angry either. But I can't pinpoint what it is exactly that brings him so low. His emotions are hard to read without seeing his eyes. "Hey, I figured." Robin shoves his hands in his pockets, immediately closing himself off. "You were depressed about the break-up with M'gann and I played you." Still, that smile quirks the corners of his lips. "Besides, I don't think you swing my way, Con."

And I end up being disappointed. In myself, more than anything. He put his trust and love in me, trying to make up for something of his own, an obvious deficiency somewhere in his own heart and home, but I couldn't fill whatever hole had been dug inside his hollowed chest. I failed him.

"I'm sorry," I murmur, touching his face in that loving way I know he likes one last time; his face tightens and he shies away like a child trying to ignore a parent.

"My fault, not yours. I'm different and you're straight, that's all there is to it." Then, in an attempt to lighten the mood, Robin jerks his head over towards the Mount Justice's hub, the center of all activity. "Go get Megan. Tell her I approve." Then that smile grew into a cheeky grin, suppressing everything else he was feeling, wearing that grin like a mask for his turmoil.

I don't want to push him, so I take his advice and head on in, aiming to get back to the level we were before. I just want her to care again.

One last check over my shoulder shows Robin disappearing into the blackness, head up, hands in his pockets, cool and collected walk. He'll be alright.

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><p><strong>AN: The song is actually a "You didn't care enough and that's why I'm leaving" kind of song, but I always feel like Dick would be perfect to anyone lucky enough to date him. The Dick/Con chapter just felt like it had to be a break-up, so I picked this song for the break-up sense rather than the actual reasoning.**

**Next one is actually going to be a companion chapter to this one, and I've already got it planned, so yay (:**

**~Sky**

**P.S. Review?**


	9. Why Didn't I?

**A/N: This one is a sister chapter to the last one. So I highly recommend you read the last one first. Okay, that sounded oxymoronic but just- yeah.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Young Justice or any associated characters. Wally's POV. BirdFlash.**

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><p><strong>Why Didn't I?<strong>

There was this one day a few months ago when I saw him. I saw he was lonely, I saw he was tired. There was an opportunity for me to take, a chance for me to play on my fantasies, but he was gone before I had a chance, seeking solace in Conner.

Conner. Pfft. He's a nice guy, sure. I don't have anything against him. It's just that Con isn't exactly the first guy I think of when it comes to comforting another person. So why Rob went to Conner is a complete mystery to me. I just remember being confused and alone and... and tired.

Because I should've jumped him sooner. I had every chance to do it, but I didn't. I had tons of things to look forward to if I had just asked, but he disappeared before I could say a word. He's like a magician that way, gone in a puff of smoke, only to reappear elsewhere.

Besides, he deserves someone better. Again, Conner isn't a bad guy, he just isn't who Rob belongs with. He belongs with me. Cheesy, I know, but it feels right whenever it's just the two of us.

Maybe he doesn't feel the same. Who knows?

Now, I'm out on the back porch, that random ledge outside, and staring out into the ocean. The tides push and pull, the waves rolling over each other. White caps reveal themselves before diving back into the water, forming foam. The seagulls overhead cry, but the sounds of the door hissing open behind me drowns them out. From the footsteps, I know it's him, and my heart shutters in my chest, shivering and alone, empty of his love.

He sits beside me in his stoic silence, pulling the glasses off and rubbing his face with one sleeve. "God, Wally, why am I so- so incapable?"

I pause. Take this in. It barely takes a heartbeat for me to respond, "_What?_"

He's not the guy to generally pour his heart out, it's so out of character for him, but he has those moments where his knees go weak and his emotions take hold, threatening to rip him apart if his mouth stays shut. Now is one of those moments. "I'm so incapable of making the right choices." One hand runs through his ebony hair, pushing it aside only for gravity to pull it back over his forehead. "I was desperate and needy and went to Conner because I wanted someone who wouldn't reject me, and he couldn't. I screwed up. Now he's trying to get back with M'gann and I'm just empty again. More than anything, I want to have someone _there_. I want to feel loved, wanted, needed. It's pitiful and weak, but I need people." He rubs his face again, sniffling. "I'm so... just _alone_."

As if he hasn't already broken my heart, I feel like his confession is ripping me to shreds. He's putting himself out to me, and I'm angry and confused. "You're never alone, Dick."

"Yes I am." And he tucks his knees to his chest, looking smaller than ever. "I want people to love me. I blame myself and those eight months in the orphanage, but I just can't function unless I know that people actually care, and Conner cared, and he still does, but it's not the same. I just want to know that I don't have to live in a solitary world."

Daddy issues. That's what he's suffering from. Bruce keeps himself locked away from the real world, and Dick's suffering because of it. Bruce cares, but it isn't always an open thing. A smile. That's not enough to fuel him or to make him feel any better about himself. Especially not when he grew up with open affection from everyone and anyone. Daddy issues.

"Come on." I lean over and try to wrap my arms around him; it's awkward, but he allows it. "You have the seven of us. You have Bruce and Alfred. You've got all of the Justice League wrapped around your little finger!" I offer a half-laugh, but I know it doesn't help him. The sound just echoes and melts into the sound of the rolling ocean. "What more do you want, Dick?"

His head rests on my shoulder. It's just a friendly gesture, nothing more. I know. It hurts. "Love," he says sadly. "I want to _know_ I'm loved."

There's another window of opportunity here. A perfect slot for me. I can just take advantage of him right here and play to his weakness, take my rightful place by his side, the one who saved him from the loneliness. I have a chance.

I don't take it.

"You are loved," I murmur, "whether you know it or not. Everyone here loves you. You're like the baby brother around here. I'm sure that if you asked anyone in that cave, they'd tell you the exact same thing."

He pulls away. He wipes his face. Those sad eyes look to me, sapphire sparkling with hot tears. "Really?"

"Really."

He reaches out and wraps his arms around me for a second. "Thanks, Wally."

I swallow hard and hug him back, feeling that familiar ache in my chest, a hollow hole caused by another missed opportunity. I want to cry, too, but I bite it back and hope he can't feel my heart breaking. "No problem, Dick."

He pulls away quickly enough, snatching up his glasses and returning them to his face, hiding those beautiful eyes.

"And Dick?" I say before he disappears again, looking over my shoulder at him. When he turns around, I tell him, "I love you."

He smiles like a giddy child before ducking inside, gone in a puff of smoke, a magician.

Letting him go is hard, but I have to. I at least told him. He didn't understand, but I told him. I just can't take advantage of him in such a weak state. He's weak. He's alone. He needs to recover. Then I can plead my case, but until then, I have to let him go. I can wait a little bit longer.

For now, I look back out at the rolling waves. The ocean pushes and pulls the water. The beach is worn away by the tides, rocks eroded with time and salt.

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><p><strong>AN: Sorry it's short. BirdFlash is my weakness, and this pairing was actually the whole reason I started writing this. I wanted to test the waters and see if I was any good. Turns out, I'm not good at BirdFlash, but I write Roy/Wally really well. Mission accomplished either way.**

**Anyways, review?**

**~Sky**


	10. Don't Close the Book

**A/N: Alright, hoping to finish this off soon. If you guys can think of a pairing for the song "Over You" by Honor Society that I haven't already used, that'd be nice. I'm thinking about either Koy (Kaldur/Roy) or ConZee (Conner/Zatanna). Help would be nice because I cannot pick or even think of another pairing. Brain is fried with pairings for this song x.x**

**This chapter, however, was actually easier than I thought it'd be. Kaldur&Artemis.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own. Song is by Honor Society, characters are owned by DC.**

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><p><strong><span>Don't Close the Book<span>**

"I'm sorry," she whispers in the confines of the dark room, words close to my ear, "but we aren't what I thought we could be."

I blink and listen as she rolls from the bed and begins to pull on her clothes again. Zippers are pulled up and there's the sound of a clasp. "Artemis," I ask, trying to piece together what could have gone wrong before she begins to completely shut me out as she's done all the others. "Have I done something wrong?"

"No, Kal," she tells me in that gentle voice that's about to break. "You didn't do anything wrong. You were fine. You always have been." When she turns to grab for her phone on the table, I can see her blue-grey eyes and the tears they hold. "I just have higher expectation of people going in and whenever it ends, I feel-"

"You are let down." I keep watching her, eyes adjusting to the familiar darkness. She's struggling to smooth out her hair while that lower lip quivers. There's evidence of our love all over her, a few marks on her neck, her tangled hair. "Artemis, if I may-"

"It's not about this, Kal." She looks at the bed with forlorn eyes, almost longing. "Just stop asking, please." One hand reaches up to brush away the pent up tears.

"I am concerned for you," I murmur, merely trying to piece together what could be upsetting her. Some part of it is about my love for her but the rest is worry for our friendship.

Artemis was facing away, but she then looks over her shoulder at me in a heartbroken way. Her lips formed unheard words in the blackness of the room: You care. And she looked away again, swallowing hard. "You're so sweet." Again, she wipes away tears; she does not remember that I can see in the shadows. "Kaldur, it just won't work between us. You're so dedicated and professional about all of this." A sniffle is an echo in the room. The cave's walls bounce the sound back. "Even after I've hurt everyone else, you still took a chance with me and still act like I'm not a liability and that I'm not some kind of whore just our for the sex."

"Relationships are not about intercourse, Artemis."

"Not with us." Her arms food tightly across her chest. She sits back on the bed, but I could tell that she was really falling back. "When I first kissed you Kaldur, I felt like it was a new chapter of my life. With Conner and Roy, I just wanted the sex. I felt alone because of- of Wally and they filled the void." She swallows loudly and goes silent for a long moment.

I put my hand on her shoulder, and she doesn't shake me off.

"When I first kissed you, I was hopeful. And afraid. I know we've never been very close, but I wanted to see if I could be emotional about a relationship after what happened, and I knew you'd be the one who would accept me and embrace me." She sounds lost; her voice is slow and sad. It's like she's wandering in an abyss, searching for a way out. "You did. And things went slow for a long time and I really fell for you, Kaldur. But some part of my mind was bent on just trying to see if I could emotionally invest myself. And I did, Kaldur. I realized that I really loved you."

"Artemis, I love you as well," I tell her softly, but my words seem to spook her and she shrugs me off, pulling away to sit on the very edge of the bed.

"But I started off wrong. I was using you." She swallows again. I can tell she's trying not to cry. "I was testing something, like you were an experiment. And then everything started moving so quickly. I wanted to tell you and get it out of the way before this happened so I felt like I wasn't using you as much, so that it wasn't just me being a damn whore." She stands now, like the bed beneath her is on fire or that she is afraid of it. "Then that happened, Kal. You got me in here and I was weak and you got me. I wanted to tell you, but you know my weak points and I couldn't even speak..."

"Artemis, I am truly sorry for-"

"It's not about the fact that we had sex, Kaldur." She even laughs. I cannot imagine what could be funny when she is trying to end our relationship. "Believe me, the sex was great. Best I've ever had, and that's saying a lot considering I've slept with Conner."

I remain stoic, but I'm actually somehow pleased by this fact. Still, it's hard to be happy when I know the bad news that is coming.

"It's because I was using you. We started off wrong and got this far. With Roy, I needed a quick fix and he was drunk enough. Conner was pining over Megan. You weren't desperate. You let me in. You take good care of me, Kaldur. You let me know I'm loved, apologize for everything, and you definitely make sure I'm treated right." Artemis turns around and looks at me through the black shadows of the room. "You're better than them and I'm just a stupid, selfish-"

"No. You are not stupid, and you are not selfish. You are beautiful, Artemis. You are a good and honorable person."

"Please stop," she pleads.

But I won't. "You are more than people think. Through all of your struggles, you have remained strong. You cannot collapse because of this, goddess. You can be better than that. You are better than that."

"I used you," she sputters.

"I am still your friend."

Artemis makes her way around the bed to my side but doesn't come towards me. She heads for the door; she doesn't pause. "We just can't stay together. Not after I used you. I love you, Kaldur, but I can't love you like this. We need to start it off right."

I say nothing. She's leaving us open ended so that more could happen if we take the right steps. I know it's not quite the end of the story.

"Bye, Kal," she whispers before opening the door. The light outside silhouettes her form and illuminates her golden hair. Then she steps out into the hall, and the tears on her olive-toned face are visible. And the door closes. She's gone.

For us, I believe it is merely a pause. I have faith that this can continue; this is not an end.

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><p><strong>AN: It wasn't as bad as I thought it'd be. I tried to attack this chapter earlier but hit walls because I was doing it wrong. But I liked this version the best anyways. Review? Please and thank you! Remember, feedback is helpful (:**

**~Sky**


	11. Rock With You

**A/N: Alright. This chapter. Then one more. Then it's over. My challenge will be complete. Keep calm and carry on my wayward son.**

**Disclaimer: Do you own this? Nope, me either. Song inspiration is by Honor Society.**

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><p><strong><span>Rock With You<span>**

"Training," Canary commands from her side of the room, her gestures indicating to Robin and Kid Flash where they're fighting in a flurry of quick, almost-scripted motions, "is a vital part of why you're all here. Any one of you can kick any bad guy to the curb, but we want to make sure that you won't make any mistakes and that you won't kill yourselves in the process."

Artemis's face is just mouthing "blah blah blah". And it's not like she's wrong. We've heard this same lecture probably a hundred times before. Still, it's hard to keep a straight face when her expression is all sloppy and bored.

"Robin, Kid, you can stop any time now." Now Canary looks annoyed. The boys are disturbing her lecture; it's actually kind of funny.

"Just let me hit his face-"

"Ha, yeah right, that'll never hap-"

"Wanna bet, you bottomless pit?" Robin takes a leap over Kid Flash's shoulders and, in one quick, basically gravity-defying twist, he manages to slam his feet into Wally's back and slap him to the floor. And still, before Rob can get a punch in, Wally's up and away with his fight or flight reflex.

"Can you two at least take it outside?" suggests Black Canary, pointing towards the door.

"Uh-huh."

"Sure."

"Just wait until I get _your_ face, birdbrain?"

They're gone in a rush of feet and blurs of yellow and red.

Now Dinah turns on us. Artemis's face is now surprisingly calm and attentive; she's quick to recover from mocking our mentor. "Since M'gann is off on a Martian holiday and-"

Kaldur raises his hand. Raises his hand. I almost chuckle. But I don't. It's an Earth thing and he's somehow picked up on it through the rest of us. And when Canary nods to him, he quietly says, "I was requested for a meeting with Batman within the next twenty minutes. If it is alright, I would like to skip training today, Black Canary. I apologize for not warning you earlier."

She gives him a soft smile and just nods, even waving him off with one hand. "I'd rather not get Batman all riled up just because I kept you busy."

Kaldur is gone with a kind nod and a silent "thank you" to Canary.

"So," she sighs, rubbing her forehead with one hand; the other hand is on her hip. "-this training session is basically wasted. If you two want to spar, go ah-"

"Bring it on," barks Artemis right away, already snapping into a battle-ready position. Her fists are up, already taped to throw some punches without too much damage. Her eyes are fierce as something of a smirk paints her Asian features.

I'm not all-too convinced that she's ready to take me on, and I'm about to protest when Canary's voice rings out, already distant: "Don't forget to tap out, you two." Then a zeta-tube announces her departure.

"Artemis-"

"What?" she says, and I can already hear her heart thundering in excitement, the adrenaline coursing through her veins. I can even count the beats per second, which is strange to be noticing. "You don't want to fight? Trust me, Conner, I can take a few hits."

I'm aware. I've seen her bruises. And the few times with the influence of the SHIELDs, I could see an x-ray of her bone structure, and every fracture and healed bone was crystal clear. "I just think we should take a break for the d-"

She's already coming at me. In a quick turn, I've taken a kick to the face and her ponytail has slapped me in the aftermath of her spin. Then she's low and I try to get a hold of her gorgeous blonde hair, but then my feet have suddenly vanished and my face is on the ground. The air is knocked out of me, but I just huff and look up at her satisfied smile. "You asked for it, Crock."

I can't tell if it's a wince or if she's just getting prepared, but her face twists up and then she's taking a few steps away. Artemis gets ready again. "Come on, Con."

Charging isn't an option, so instead I just stand up slowly and try to lumber forward slightly in the process, expecting that she may be caught off-guard if I can get close enough and lunge-

-and I do. I manage to push up fast enough to catch her off-guard. I catch her stomach and get to throw her to the ground, to hold her down. I've got one of her arms pinned to the floor while the other just tries to limply shove me off. "Come on, Artemis," I snap back.

She grins this wide, Cheshire grin. And then her legs are up around my head, twisting me down, pushing me to the ground, and it only stings, but then she's on top, holding me down. And as much as my instinct screams for me to kick her off, I know I'd probably break a rib or two. So I don't.

Instead of responding, I just try to search for alternatives until Artemis leans in real close and says, "How's that for a human?"

Her husky voice and the breath on my ear is enough to murder my self-control. "It's great," I murmur back, knowing my words are hot on her cheek. "You're not too bad at this."

"Been trained since I was six or so." Suddenly, she's off me. My body's cold without her so close. Instead, she's standing above. The light is hitting her just right: it's not helping. "I would hope I'm 'not too bad'." And she chokes on a laugh while reaching a hand down to help me up, knowing full well that I can get up on my own. Still, I take her hand.

Artemis continues, her voice still low. "After all, I just beat you."

Then I keep her hand and clench it tight, pulling her over my shoulders and holding her there like a yoke minus the buckets of water on each side. "But I gain the upper hand," I reply with a smirk, carrying her towards the kitchen.

"Plot twist," she laughs, one arm just barely escaping my grasp because she's so thin and that arm gets around my neck. Then her muscles clench and tighten. Suddenly, it's a lot harder to breathe. "I win."

After a few seconds of trying to escape without dropping her (because if I drop her, I know I'm done for), I have to tap out. Two quick touches on the other wrist that I still have and she releases, then dropping to the floor as I let her go in order to find more air.

A coarse laugh stabs the air, breaking through the whizzing of machines and the general mountains sounds. Without warning, her words are in my ear: "By the way, I could feel your heartbeat, Conner." Artemis's hands are suddenly grazing my exposed arms and tracing the curvatures of my muscles; I feel naked at her touch. "I know."

For a long time, she's been a magnet. I'll be kissing Megan and wishing her hair was longer so that I can run my fingers through it and wishing she were blonde so that the light would make her seem angelic. Really, I've just been wishing for Artemis. Now she's here, in my grasp, so close, close enough to touch…

The sound of a purr is in my ear. "Your heart rate is ridiculous right now."

"I blame you," I manage to say with a level voice.

"You want me to back off?" she questions, walking her fingers along the side of my neck while the other hand is already in my hair, fingering it, playing with it.

I swallow hard. "No."

"Then you need," she whispers, "to settle down, Conner."

And I do.

It only takes a few moments for her lips to find my neck.

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><p><strong>AN: Review?**

**~Sky**


	12. Over You

**A/N: Final chapter. This one gets a bit edgier than some of the last ones, so I'm posting my warning: RATING IS HIGH TEEN. References, not exactly mild, but definitely distinct.**

**The reason this chapter is so late is because I couldn't figure out what pairing I wanted to do. I was between Conner&Zatanna and Kaldur&Tula for a while, but neither happened. So here's Conner/Roy. Conner's POV.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own.**

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><p><strong><span>Over You<span>**

It's not like I've wanted to bang Roy for years now.

When I first met him, I respected him. He seemed like a strong individual, mentally and emotionally stronger than I was. He was power embodied: Roy simply became an icon I could fixate myself upon because he was just as strong and individual as Superman, yet he was a lower standard. I respected him because he knew what he wanted and how to get it; he wanted a solo gig and found a way to forge that path for himself. Me? I wanted to get Superman to accept my existence if nothing else and I was rejected so many times because I didn't know how to get what I wanted. And I admired Roy for standing up and believing in something so seemingly impossible.

Then, yeah, it was kind of a man crush. I could sit there and watch him and Artemis take shots at the same damn target and keep nailing it and nailing it and at some point, with their alternating shots, I began to like the rhythm. And I decided archery was kind of hot.

And I also decided I didn't like Artemis.

Red hair, skin sleek with sweat, fantastically blue eyes. Yeah. I'm sure I'm attractive to some people, but in those moments when my ears were tuned in to the rhythm of the bow strings and slamming arrows and rustling ammo, Roy was the only thing on my mine, and I wanted to find a different sort of rhythm with him.

But those were terrible first thoughts. The initial attraction was just a man crush, nothing more. Once he stopped and put down that bow and decided he wanted to be a little bit more normal, I decided I wasn't interested.

And yet here I am again now, sitting out at the range and watching him drive arrow after arrow into a target when I want to be nailing him with my own arrow.

These thoughts seriously need to get out of my head.

We did that. Once. Because we dated. For a month. Maybe a bit longer. I'm not really sure. I just know he walked into the kitchen one day and asked me to stop staring at him while he was practicing. It had become a bad habit, yeah, but I was enjoying it. And I refused, saying I was trying to learn. And he suggested tutoring me. My initial hesitation almost prompted him to suggest Artemis, but I accepted fast enough. The rest is history.

First lesson, I ended up pinning him to the ground and making sure he knew my interest. And at first, he seemed interested too. Roy wanted to know where this could lead. Just us two.

It worked for a while, doing nothing but sitting in stoic silences and watching movies and just sitting together, holding hands. We never laid on each other, shared a simple kiss. We sat there, fingers intertwined- a somber, stoic relationship. If it was even that.

And I couldn't bring myself to feel anything more than that starved lust. I wanted to take him again and make sure he knew that I truly wanted him. Yet he never gave me another opportunity.

I thought this was love. And I was wrong.

He broke up with me about a month later, saying he didn't feel like he did at first when it was new and fresh and young. Roy's eyes were guilty and tired, but I didn't push and I didn't ask. I accepted. And I moved on.

But I'm still not over him. Artemis and I are going out tomorrow night and I know she's very much so into the physical side of her relationships, but I don't want her. I want his red hair and his broad shoulders and his bulging muscles and his tight torso and his blue eyes. I want Roy. And I'm not over him.

So I get to sit out here and watch him drive arrow after arrow into a board that won't feel it, that won't love him back, and I get to wait and hope and pray and wish for him to find some of that original feeling again. I want that back. I want that newness. And I want it with him.

Maybe. Just maybe. Because I remember kissing his neck and feeling his shoulders and stroking his hair and knowing it was him; I remember his fingers dancing along my chest and his lips seeking out and roaming along my jawline. I remember everything about that first night, and those are memories I never want to lose.

It'll be like that with Artemis again tonight, but I know from what Roy told me that she is much more savage and hungry upon taking what she wants. And maybe I'm like that too, a dog who won't wait for a meal and instead goes in for the kill without a second thought. Maybe I was too quick to strike with Roy; if I had waited, if I had tried, maybe we could have put some sort of relationship together.

But I wanted him. He wanted me. And it happened. And there was no time.

I watch as Wally approaches Roy on the archery range and the bowman puts down his tool. He puts a kiss on younger, chaste lips and sweeps him into a hug. They're together. They have something.

I should never have interfered.

Roy picks up his weapon and the sunlight highlights his frame and catches his red hair, which illuminates like fire. His broad shoulders are emphasized and his muscles glint with sweat. He slings both bow and quiver over his shoulder before taking Wally's hand. Then they head off.

And I'm not over him. I don't know if I ever will be. But I don't want to be. I don't love him. But I want him to be mine.

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><p><strong>AN: The original goal of this story was to become more comfortable with writing slash. I'm comfortable with slash now. (Roy/Wally is my OTP thanks to chapter two...) I'm actually more comfortable with myself as well because it helped me come to terms with my own sexuality. I owe a lot to this story and I thank you all for joining me in the ride to the finish (:**

**~Sky**


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